There are times in our lives when we respond to an issue or to someone in
a manner that is not in line with God's will. Not how a true believer in God should
respond. When we allow our own desires to take control of our response instead of
responding the way we are directed to by God's word.

This is what happened to Moses. Moses, a man of God. One of the most righteous
men alive at the time. The one God used to deliver His people from a life of slavery
by the Egyptians. One might ask, what could Moses possibly do to bring God's judgement
upon him? The answer is given to us in the Old Testament book of Numbers;

"Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of
Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and
was buried there. Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together
against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If
only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! Why have you brought up
the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die
here? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place?
It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water
to drink.” So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door
of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the
LORD appeared to them. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; you and
your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their
eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the
rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” So Moses took the rod
from before the LORD as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly
together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring
water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice
with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals
drank." Num. 20:1-11

Because Moses responded to the people in a manner that was disrespectful to
God by calling them rebels instead of speaking words that glorified God, this was
his great sin. He made it look like it was him that was giving the people the water
instead of using the issue to respond to their needs in a manner that reminded them
that it is God that provides all of our needs. Striking the rock instead of holding
it over the rock as he has always done angered God which brought judgement down on
both him and Aaron. Because of his actions, Moses was not allowed to enter into the
promised land. He was only allowed to see it from a far distance.

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow
Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly
into the land which I have given them.” Num. 20:12

The key words in the above verse is to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Hallow means to make Holy. The final verse in this part of scripture reads;

"This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the
LORD, and He was hallowed

among them." Num. 20:13

"Meribah" has a root word in Hebrew to mean strife or contend with.

In our lives today, we must always try to respond to people and situations
that ultimately honor God. This is not easy, however with continued prayer to ask
God to teach us to be humble in our responses, this will ultimately hallow His name.